Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
by SyncN2DS
Summary: So maybe they didn’t realize their lives were going to be heading into a whole new adventure--at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So what. They’re having the time of their lives…not to mention the craziest. Introducing...
1. Prologue

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
By: SyncN2DS  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
So maybe they didn't realize their new school was going to be the wildest and [in my opinion, the COOLEST]. So what. They're having the time of their lives...not to mention the craziest. Introducing .....  
  
*Characters* (Who do not belong to me.)  
  
Harry Potter  
  
Hermione Granger  
  
Ron Weasley [and his family. Fred, George, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, Bill, Percy, and Ginny. Oh yeah-and Pigwidgeon]  
  
Greg Rani  
  
Jesse McCoy  
  
The Hogwarts Staff (Dumbledore; McGonagall; Snape; Trelawney; Hagrid; etc.)  
  
The Ministry of Magic  
  
... The students/people/creatures of Hogwarts.  
  
*Characters* (Who belong to ME. [Yes, MOI].)  
  
Roxy-Witch  
  
Claire-Witch  
  
  
  
Little did they know their new school could've involved problems that closely connected with Lord Voldemort.  
  
A/N: Congratulations. *Applause* Ok. *sob* I'm going to hafta try harder. Moving on...~SyncN2DS~ 


	2. Chapter One: You've Got Mail Again

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
By: SyncN2DS  
  
Chapter One: You've Got Mail...Again.  
  
  
  
"Hey, this movie is pretty cool. It's better than The Great Humberto," suggested young 15-year-old Roxy Lane.  
  
"The Great Humberto? That movie was kind of okay," said Roxy's friend, Claire Rivers. Claire was also 15 years old.  
  
Roxy shrugged. "Look, I'm bored. There's like, nothing to do!"  
  
Claire looked up from her notebook. "Well, we could check out the boxes of junk my parents kept in the storage place. I'm supposed to put them away to the cupboard under the stairs anyway."  
  
Roxy shrugged again. "Anything to keep ourselves busy."  
  
Claire stood up and led Roxy to the storage room. Claire opened the door with a flourish.  
  
Roxy gasped. "Whoa. That's a whole lot of boxes to put away."  
  
Claire walked toward a sea of big boxes. "We might as well check 'em out."  
  
Claire hadn't so much as touch a box when the doorbell rang.  
  
"It's probably mum," Claire muttered to herself.  
  
"Claire? Honey, we're home!" a voice called down from the hallway.  
  
"---And dad," Claire added.  
  
Mrs. Rivers poked her head into the storage room. "Hi honey. Hi Roxy. Claire? Remember about the transferring? We've decided that Hogwarts would be the best one." Mrs. Rivers handed Claire an envelope of some sort.  
  
Roxy suddenly leaped over and hugged Claire with all the strength she could muster. "Oh my gosh! I love you! I love you too Mrs. Rivers!" she shrieked.  
  
"AIR!" Claire managed to choke out.  
  
Roxy let go. "This is SO cool. My mum and dad told me I was going to transfer to Hogwarts, too!"  
  
Claire gasped. "Why didn't you tell me!?"  
  
Roxy shrugged. "They just told me last night. But I had to go to bed then."  
  
Mrs. Rivers suddenly laughed. "Well, I'll leave you two to your little celebration." Then she left.  
  
"You know, I've heard from our old classmates that Hogwarts wasn't so great. They said Hogwarts was such a lame-o," Claire said.  
  
Roxy shrugged. "Well, I don't know. We'll just have to see for ourselves."  
  
Claire was opening the thick envelope that was made of yellowish parchment. "I heard Hogwarts had four houses with a mascot of their own. And they have this Inter-House Championship and Inter-house Quidditch thing. The Quidditch part sounded pretty interesting."  
  
"I dunno, but at least hope that Hogwarts is going to be just as cool as Beauxbatons was," Roxy said.  
  
Claire laughed. "I've been attending at Beauxbatons for four years and so far, I STILL don't even know one word of French."  
  
Claire pulled out a couple pages of parchment. She skimmed the first scroll of parchment. "...Dear Miss Rivers, We are pleased to inform you--yeah, yeah, I got the same thing four years ago."  
  
Claire pulled out another sheet. "A permission slip to go to the town of Hogsmeade...a list of school things...and---that's it."  
  
Roxy nodded. "I got those too. My mum and dad are taking me to someplace called Diagon Alley to get my school things tomorrow. Want to come?"  
  
Claire shrugged. "Maybe. I'll ask my parents."  
  
Claire and Roxy went up to Claire's room to talk more about their new school and things (a/n: well, it's called "girl-talk"). Two hours after, Roxy had to go home for dinner.  
  
That was how the day went.  
  
A/N: YAY! I finished my firstie chapter!! WoooW...I'm so happy. ~SyncN2DS~ 


	3. Chapter Two: Diagon Alley

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
By: SyncN2DS  
  
Chapter Two: Diagon Alley  
  
  
  
A/N: BACK and ready as ever! *gets into a Superman pose*  
  
  
  
"So Mum, can I go to Diagon Alley with Roxy and her parents tomorrow?" Claire asked.  
  
It was dinnertime at the Rivers' home and Claire was on the verge of asking her parents to go to Diagon Alley with Roxy. And the question managed to slip out.  
  
"Sure you can honey. Diagon Alley is a very interesting place, in fact. Your mother and I went there just yesterday," Mrs. Rivers said.  
  
"You didn't tell me!" Claire exclaimed indignantly.  
  
Mr. Rivers shrugged. "Well, we didn't think you were interested. But like your mother said, 'Diagon Alley is a very remarkable place'."  
  
"But you guys went to Beauxbatons," Claire pointed out.  
  
Mrs. Rivers wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I wanted to go to Hogwarts, but Grandma and Grandpa wanted me to go to Beauxbatons because THEIR parents went to Beauxbatons, and their parents went to Beauxbatons because...well, it goes on to many generations. I just want you to experience Hogwarts. Hogwarts is a very wonderful school where anything can happen. Whereas Beauxbatons, well... ANYWAYS, you can go with Roxy tomorrow," Mrs. Rivers said loudly.  
  
"YAY! Thanks Mum. Do I just go by Floo Powder to Roxy's, or...??"  
  
"It's up to you," Mr. Rivers said.  
  
Claire cleared her plate away and dashed up to her room. Claire grabbed her telephone as she hopped on her bed. Claire punched in Roxy's number. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Roxy?" Claire said.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I can come."  
  
"Really? Cool. Lemme go get my parents."  
  
There was a moment of silence and then--  
  
"Claire?"  
  
Claire sat up. "What? What'd they say?"  
  
"We'll meet you at Gringotts tomorrow."  
  
"Gringotts?"  
  
Roxy laughed. "The wizard bank, weirdo."  
  
"Oh yeah. I knew that," Claire said.  
  
"Sure you did," Roxy said, giggling.  
  
"Look, I gotta go. See you tomorrow. Bye." Claire hung up the telephone.  
  
Then she flopped backwards onto her pillow.  
  
*The Next Morning*  
  
"Claire, wake up!"  
  
Claire tossed and turned over on her bed. "Whuh..."  
  
"CLAIRE!"  
  
Claire sat up boltright. "I'M UUUUPPP!!" she yelled.  
  
While Claire was brushing her teeth...  
  
Miles and miles away...  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
"Harry! HARRY!" someone yelled.  
  
15-year-old Harry Potter spun around. He spotted his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They were sitting in front of a café, waving at him vigorously.  
  
Harry hurried toward them and then plopped down into a seat next to Ron. "Hey. I've been looking all over for you. Where were you?"  
  
"We were in Flourish & Blotts, getting our school books. Where were YOU?" Ron asked.  
  
"I guess I was in the Apothecary then," Harry decided.  
  
"Diagon Alley is pretty crowded today," commented Hermione.  
  
Ron snorted. "Diagon Alley is ALWAYS crowded, Hermione."  
  
"But-"  
  
Harry cut her off. "Hey look, there's Malfoy!"  
  
Ron and Hermione looked where Harry was pointing. Draco Malfoy was a boy who had a pale, pointed face and reputation for having a generation of families in the Slytherin House at Hogwarts. (Slytherin was one of the four houses at Hogwarts.)  
  
Malfoy was walking out of Flourish & Blotts with his parents, holding a large bag.  
  
"What do you think he has in there?" Ron said.  
  
Harry shrugged. "Books?"  
  
Hermione was busy flipping through their new schoolbooks. "You know how Hogwarts never has any exchange students transferring? Guess what--we've got four this year."  
  
"Really? Who?" Harry asked.  
  
Hermione shrugged. "I've heard two from Beauxbatons, and two from another school in Britain somewhere."  
  
"Are they like in our year or something?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione shrugged again. "I dunno."  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
"Thanks, Mom. Bye!"  
  
Claire stuffed some money into her pocket. Then she threw some of the Floo Powder from a vase nearby into the fireplace in the living room. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" she yelled and walked into the fireplace.  
  
"Diagon Alley!" she bellowed and disappeared within the emerald flames.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hmm...it doesn't look like Claire's arrived yet," Roxy said, standing in front of Gringotts wizard bank with her parents.  
  
"Well, you DID tell her we'll be meeting her in front of Gringotts, right?" Mrs. Lane said.  
  
"YES, I did," Roxy insisted.  
  
"There's Claire!" shouted Mr. Lane suddenly.  
  
Claire was running up toward them, slightly panting.  
  
"H-hi Mr. and M-Mrs. L-Lane!" wheezed Claire.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Lane exchanged amused smiles. "Are you okay, Claire?"  
  
Claire nodded. "Never better!"  
  
Roxy laughed. "C'mon, we've better go get our money from the vaults."  
  
Roxy, Claire, and Mr. and Mrs. Lane walked into Gringotts. Mr. Lane walked up to a free goblin. "We'd like to exchange-"  
  
"Yes, yes, GRIPHOOK!" the goblin interrupted.  
  
Griphook, another goblin, led them toward a different hall. Griphook opened the door and whistled. A small cart came hurtling up toward them.  
  
Everyone climbed in, and the cart began to move down into the dim lit and stony passageway.  
  
Griphook directed them to the right vaults to withdraw their money. Then they were on their way back.  
  
Roxy, Claire, and Roxy's parents walked out of Gringotts and then headed first to Flourish & Blotts to get their schoolbooks.  
  
Claire walked down the many-booked shelves and aisles, skimming her school list, looking for the right books.  
  
Soon enough, Roxy and Claire managed to find everything with help from the manager, paid for their schoolbooks, and then exited Flourish & Blotts. Their next trip was to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.  
  
Claire was fingering a modern silk robe when Roxy came gliding up to her. "How's this?" she asked, twirling around.  
  
Roxy was wearing a simple black robe along with an eager look on her face. Claire laughed. "It looks great."  
  
Claire went to get fitted by Madam Malkin herself and then she bought a few. Robes, I mean.  
  
Roxy and Claire (Roxy's parents had went to the Leaky Cauldron) walked out of Madam Malkin's and then settled themselves down on a few chairs at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.  
  
"Ok, where else have we got?" Claire asked Roxy, skimming the menu.  
  
Roxy flipped out the list of things needed for Hogwarts.  
  
"Umm...we need a pewter size cauldron, potion ingredients, and...a pet won't hurt. But we DO need some new quills and scrolls of parchment. And new bottles of ink," she added.  
  
Claire shrugged. "We can get the cauldron easily. The potion ingredients are at the Apothecary, and animals are at the Magical Menagerie."  
  
Roxy raised an eyebrow. "How d'you know that?"  
  
Claire grinned. "Instincts."  
  
After cauldrons, potion ingredients, and new writing supplies, Claire and Roxy decided their last place was to go to the Magical Menagerie.  
  
"Maybe I'll get an owl," Claire surmised. Claire gazed at a handsome tawny owl perched in a cage nearby.  
  
Roxy shrugged. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting a cat!"  
  
Roxy went to have a witch help her find a rainbow colored cat. Then she came back. "They got sold out. What a bummer, huh? Claire? Claire?" Roxy tried to get Claire's attention.  
  
Claire was looking past the owl cage, staring at a shop across from the Magical Menagerie. "WWWhoa!!! I'm going there!"  
  
Claire tore out of the Magical Menagerie and, as Roxy watched, dashed into the shop: Quidditch Quality Supplies.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
"Boy, this broom looks awesome," Ron commented.  
  
Hermione peered over Ron's shoulder to look at what he was staring at. She snorted.  
  
"Ron, that's a Nimbus Two Thousand."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Nimbuses aren't that bad. Remember mine? I never had trouble with it," Harry said, almost wistfully.  
  
Ron bit his lip. "But then..."  
  
Harry grimaced. He remembered in his third year when the Whomping Willow, a violent tree that stood on Hogwarts grounds, smashed his broomstick to bits.  
  
"But you've got a Firebolt!" Hermione exclaimed. A Firebolt was one of the best brooms in the world ever created.  
  
(a/n: In my opinion though...)  
  
"Yeah. I guess."  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
Claire looked longingly at the Firebolt that stood hung in a cage outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies.  
  
"Hmmm...I wonder how much it is," Claire thought aloud.  
  
"A couple barrels of Galleons, in my opinion," a voice said behind her.  
  
Claire jumped. She turned around. A boy of fifteen was standing behind her, looking at the Firebolt, looking amused.  
  
"Er--what?" Claire blurted out.  
  
The boy sort of smiled. "My name's Malfoy. Draco, Malfoy. What's yours?"  
  
"Uh---Claire. Claire Rivers," she replied.  
  
"So you're into Firebolts?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"Um-yeah. Pretty cool, aren't they?" Claire said.  
  
"They're okay, I guess. What kind is yours?" Malfoy asked, his eyebrow furrowing.  
  
"I um, I-I don't own one," Claire said.  
  
Malfoy looked surprised. "Seriously? You should try and get one then. If you're interested, Hogwarts Quidditch teams are always looking for good players."  
  
"Quidditch team?" Claire repeated dumbly.  
  
"Well, you DO know Quidditch, right?" Malfoy said, with a starting hint of boredom in his voice.  
  
"Of course I do. I just-I mean, I didn't get what you meant when you said 'House teams'," Claire said quickly.  
  
Malfoy's face cleared. "Oh! Well you know we have Houses at Hogwarts. Wait-- you go to Hogwarts, right?"  
  
Claire nodded.  
  
"As I was saying, I'm in Slytherin."  
  
Claire raised her head. "So Hogwarts has Quidditch teams?"  
  
Malfoy nodded. "Yeah. I'm on the Slytherin Quidditch team---you know, obviously," he added.  
  
Malfoy suddenly turned, at a shuffle of noises nearby.  
  
"I've got to be going. I'll see you at Hogwarts," Malfoy said, turning to walk away.  
  
"Bye," Claire said softly.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey, what's that noise?" Harry suddenly said.  
  
The three whirled around, and Draco Malfoy appeared from behind the shelves.  
  
"Oh, it's you three," he said sourly.  
  
"And it's you," Ron shot back, looking at Malfoy unpleasantly.  
  
"What're you doing from behind here?" Harry said warily.  
  
Malfoy smirked. "Well Quality Quidditch Supplies is an open place, you know."  
  
"Then get on with your shopping and leave us alone," Hermione said.  
  
Malfoy glared at her. "I don't need a some hideous Mudblood telling me what to do."  
  
Harry fingered his wand warningly. "One more word out of you, and you'll rue the day you even thought of calling Hermione that."  
  
Malfoy walked huffily away, leaving the three looking after him.  
  
"You'd think he was trying to befriend us," Ron muttered.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
"Thirty-five Galleons, please," the witch behind the counter said.  
  
Claire dug her hand into the pocket of her jeans, trying to fish out some gold. "Here," she said, dropping the many coins into the witch's outstretched hand.  
  
"Thanks," Claire said, as she heaved her owl cage. The handsome tawny owl was perched on top of her shoulder.  
  
"Well, what should I name you?" Claire asked her owl, once they got outside.  
  
Claire grinned to herself. "Leonardo DiCaprio? Heh. Naw."  
  
"How about...Bono. How's that?" Claire asked her owl.  
  
Bono clicked his beak.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes," Claire laughed.  
  
Almost immediately, Roxy came running up. She was carrying an enormous but fluffy white-pink cat in her arms.  
  
Claire raised her eyebrows. "So you've given up on rainbow cats?"  
  
Roxy grinned slyly. "Forget about that. I saw you talking to some guy outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies. What's up?"  
  
Claire smiled guiltily. "He's this guy from Hogwarts. He's in Slytherin House."  
  
Roxy suddenly stuck out a disgusted tongue. "Ew. He's in Slytherin?? I dunno why you even bothered talking to one. Slytherin House turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other house. Did you know that?"  
  
Claire shrugged. "Who cares? He goes to Hogwarts," she said dreamily.  
  
Roxy widened her eyes. "Uh-oh. This is bad."  
  
  
  
A/N: 'Tis bad, alright. Perhaps you oughta go meet Harry Potter and his friends, Claire. He'll change your mind. 


	4. Chapter Three: The Hogwarts Express

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
By: SyncN2DS  
  
Chapter Three: Hogwarts Express  
  
A/N: Oh Claire, Oh Claire, can't you see he's bad? Oh Claire, Oh, Claire, can't you seeeee? Malfoy's not that great; can't you see that hate? Oh, Claire, Oh, Claire, can't you see?  
  
"So you're all ready and packed?" Mrs. Rivers asked.  
  
Claire threw in the bag of Owl Treats into her bag. "Now I am," she announced.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Rivers were parked outside of King's Cross railroad station. Mr. Rivers was unloading the rest of Claire's luggage.  
  
Mrs. Rivers suddenly grabbed Claire and hugged her. "I'm going to miss you," she said tearfully.  
  
"You'll see me on Christmas holiday," Claire said.  
  
Mrs. Rivers let go. "We'll be going to the Americas to visit Cody. But if you don't want to go, you can stay at Hogwarts for Christmas holiday."  
  
Cody was Claire's brother. He was doing some Gringotts business in Washington D.C.  
  
Claire sighed. "There's always Easter. But I'll think about it."  
  
Claire gave her parents one last hug and then started to push the trolley. Then she stopped. "Where's Platform 9 ¾ again?"  
  
"In the middle of platforms 9 and 10, dear," Mrs. Rivers said.  
  
"Bye, mum! Bye, dad!" Claire cried. She started to push her trolley down the boardwalk until she faced platforms 9 and 10.  
  
"Here goes nothing," Claire muttered. She pushed the trolley toward the brick wall of platform 9. Claire soon began running and then-  
  
"Whoa. What just happened?" Claire murmured.  
  
Claire was in a whole different railroad station. A bright red train with the words Hogwarts Express printed across was parked right in front of her. "Hogwarts Express," Claire said, checking her ticket.  
  
Claire loaded her trunk and suitcase onto the train and then started looking for a free compartment. All of them were filled with students, but then Claire spotted someone familiar in one compartment at the end of the train. Claire opened the sliding door.  
  
"Claire!"  
  
Roxy sat up from her seat. "When'd you get here?"  
  
Claire shrugged. "Just now. When did YOU get here?"  
  
"A few minutes ago."  
  
Roxy glanced at the three people seated across from her. "Uh Claire, I want you to meet Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Guys, this is Claire."  
  
Claire smiled. "Hi. Pleased to meet you."  
  
A boy with dark hair sat up. "Hi. I'm Harry."  
  
"Hi. What's that on your forehead?" Claire blurted out. She immediately clapped a hand to her mouth. "Whoops."  
  
Harry raised a hand up to his forehead, touching a magnificent scar that was the shape of a lightning bolt.  
  
"My scar? Well uh...it's a long story," Harry muttered, turning a light shade of red.  
  
"Souvenir of an injury?" Claire joked.  
  
"Something like that," Harry said hastily.  
  
There was a nasty silence.  
  
A girl with bushy brown hair smiled. "I'm Hermione Granger."  
  
The boy beside her with flaming red hair introduced himself as Ron Weasley.  
  
Claire sat down. "Well...what year are you guys in?"  
  
"Fifth year," Hermione said.  
  
"So what's Hogwarts like?"  
  
Now THAT was a bad question to ask if you were expecting an answer like "It's ok."  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry filled Roxy and Claire with amazing stories about what had happened at Hogwarts in the past years that they had attended Hogwarts.  
  
Roxy grinned. "See? I told you Hogwarts was going to be awesome, Claire."  
  
A/N: Some things are just meant to be. 


	5. Chapter Four: The Sorting Hat

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
By: SyncN2DS  
  
Chapter Four: The Sorting Hat  
  
  
  
A/N: Wish I could be...part of your world!!  
  
  
  
"So this is what Hogwarts looks like," marveled Claire.  
  
"It's better than I imagined," Roxy concluded.  
  
Claire and Roxy were looking out the window of the carriage they were sharing with two other boys.  
  
The carriage door suddenly opened and they all stepped out.  
  
"Looks more mysterious than Beauxbatons ever looked," Claire muttered.  
  
Roxy laughed. "C'mon, let's go. It's freezing."  
  
The two walked toward the Entrance Hall with the other students.  
  
"So how exactly do we get into our Houses? Do we just pick or something?" Claire said.  
  
Roxy shook her head. "I don't think so, or I've gotten dibs on Gryffindor. You're still not brooding about that Slytherin guy, are you?" she added worriedly.  
  
A dreamy look cast over Claire's face. "You mean Draco Malfoy?"  
  
Roxy formed a revolted look on her face. "Even his name sounds malicious."  
  
Just then, a girl walked up to them.  
  
"Excuse me, are you two fifth years?"  
  
Claire and Roxy nodded.  
  
"I'm Head Girl of Gryffindor. D'you two by any chance know two girls by the name of Claire Rivers and Roxy Lane?"  
  
"You're in luck, because that's us," Roxy said.  
  
The girl sighed in relief. "Thank God. Professor McGonagall wants a word with you two."  
  
"Professor who...?"  
  
"Oh, of course you wouldn't know. She's the deputy headmistress. C'mon, I'll lead you toward her office."  
  
The girl led Roxy and Claire toward another corridor. In what seemed like no time, Roxy and Claire found themselves in front of Professor McGonagall's office.  
  
The girl opened the door and motioned Claire and Roxy to walk in. A woman was seated in a chair behind a wooden oak desk. She had on emerald green robes and her hair in a tight bun. She peered at the three from her shiny spectacles.  
  
"Thanks for bringing them, Hannah. You may proceed to the feast," the woman said. "Have a seat," she added to Claire and Roxy.  
  
The girl, indicated as Hannah, walked out of the room.  
  
The woman looked at Claire and Roxy. "I presume you two girls are Claire Rivers and Roxy Lane?"  
  
Claire and Roxy nodded.  
  
"I am Professor McGonagall. I am deputy headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House, and I teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts. We've got four new transfer students this year, and I'm here to inform you of your doings."  
  
Claire and Roxy suddenly noticed the two boys that were in the carriage with them were too, in the room now.  
  
"First of all, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You'll soon be sorted into your Houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, and any rule breaking, you will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the Inter- House Championship. Now, you'll first be sorted, and then proceed to your House table. Clear?" Professor McGonagall said.  
  
"How exactly do we get sorted?" Claire asked.  
  
Professor McGonagall merely smiled. "You're just going to have to find out."  
  
Professor McGonagall stood up and so did the four. She escorted them to the Great Hall.  
  
Professor McGonagall pushed the doors of the Great Hall open. Claire gasped.  
  
What they saw was absolutely magnificent. Lit-candles were floating in the air; the ceiling was a dark, midnight blue; at the end of the hall was a high table seated with teachers; four long tables were set and were seated with many students; and transparent ghosts were gliding in and out through the walls.  
  
A short wizard was carrying a stool toward the front of the teachers' table. Then he set a rather ruffled, pointed wizard's hat on top. The brim of the hat opened wide and began singing. (a/n: look, I would've composed a rather long song if I wanted to, but I'm not as good as rhyming things as J.K Rowling, OK?)  
  
After the song, the students within the hall clapped. Then, a wizard that was sitting in the middle of the teachers' high table stood up. He had half- moon spectacles; long, sweeping, silvery hair and a gleaming silver beard that was several feet long; and brilliant robes on with a pointed wizard's hat on top.  
  
"I would like to say a few words. First, I would like to welcome all to a new year at Hogwarts. But this year, we have four new exchange students. Please welcome our new students: Claire Rivers, Roxy Lane, Gregory Rani, and Jesse McCoy."  
  
There was some excited applause and then the clapping quieted down. Professor McGonagall took out a long scroll of parchment.  
  
"All you have to do is try on the Sorting Hat. Then carry on to your House tables."  
  
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Lane, Roxanne."  
  
Roxy blushed a brilliant shade of red and walked up toward the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat immediately shouted.  
  
Claire knew that Roxy was extremely happy.  
  
What about me? Claire thought. Where would I end up?  
  
"...McCoy, Jesse."  
  
Claire glanced at the table outermost. She immediately spotted the boy she met at Quality Quidditch Supplies, Draco Malfoy. Malfoy was looking straight at her!  
  
"Ahem. Rivers, Clarisse."  
  
Claire jerked back to life. She walked up to the stool and the hat was placed upon her head.  
  
Hmm...difficult. The half of you wants to be in Slytherin and the other half of you would rather go to Gryffindor. But I see great bravery in you and extreme talent. But where should I put you?? a voice said in her ear.  
  
Gryffindor would be nice...  
  
Better be... "GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
The hat was taken off Claire's head. Claire looked at the Gryffindor table, and she could see Roxy cheering along with the rest of the Gryffindors.  
  
For the first time that day, Claire felt a hint of pride inside of her.  
  
YAY.  
  
A/N: AwWwWwE. ~SyncN2DS~ 


End file.
